Study note

Antigen physical state and tolerogenicity

THE CONTEXT

The physical form of an antigen affects its ability to induce tolerance, and processing can change its immunological behaviour.

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Soluble antigens and haptens are more tolerogenic than particulate antigens.

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Human gamma globulin is highly immunogenic in mice when heat-aggregated but tolerogenic when disaggregated.

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High-speed centrifugation of serum protein solutions produces a tolerogenic supernatant and an immunogenic sediment.

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